This will be a site to record my thoughts and musings as they occur. A 'vanity' blog or website. Postings will be sporadic as the nature of this site is not a conversation with others, but a monolog to help me in troubled times.
To Those who find good ideas, they are free for theft so long as attribution is given. They are to be *built upon* not used to demean and tear down. Ideas I present I do not declare to be *good* or *perfect* merely *better* or *different*.

10 April 2006

Today's contestant for Dumb Looks and begging the question is Representative Jack Kingston from the 1st District in Georgia... COME ON DOWN! This is your chance to win free answers and have the obvious pointed out to you...

First up are Rep. Kingston's view on...IMMIGRATION! A hot topic with so many illegal aliens out today, that you could swear UFO's had landed... And here he is with the opening statement:

"We do need to have border security.""The border control has nothing to do with them but release them."

"You do need to have border security, but if you build a fence, in some areas, that blocks American users from their water."

"American employers do need a guest worker program, and we need someone like American Express running it. I don't think you can ever walk out on American Express, but immigration services can't find anyone."

Thank you, Rep. Kingston for such a grand idea! Perhaps we could even pay boodles of cash for American Express to document everyone here who SHOULDN'T BE! I like this idea so much I think we should hand over the entire Border Patrol to a company like... Pinkerton's! And then there are the poor folks who would be deprived of the highly polluted Rio Grande... perhaps that could be handed over to Dupont and then have multiple layers of Kevlar strung up for thousands of miles RIGHT DOWN THE CENTER!!! Yes, no need for a fence when you have Kevlar! And the entire program will still REQUIRE FEDERAL OVERSIGHT, which means more folks to handle the contracts and ensure they are being worked properly. And any actual enforcement will have to be done with the full sign off and cognizance of the US Government, not a company.

Now lets get to cases on the Border Patrol: let the military fly folks in cargo aircraft to their country of ORIGIN! Drop them off in the furthest airfield from the US and let them figure it out for themselves.... you are absolutely correct that 'catch and release' does not work... BECAUSE YOU DON'T PAY FOR ANYTHING BETTER!!

Blocking Americans from the Rio Grande by the point it reaches the border might be a good idea and let the agricultural runoff stay in the river and head out to the Gulf. If you still hear complaints add something known as 'Pumping Stations'. This is an excuse, Representative, not a *reason*.

Now here is the question, Representative: What sort of enforcement will make US companies follow this law? We already *have* laws on the books they IGNORE, and they will do the exact same with this one! Yes! That's the ticket! Another law to be IGNORED. Adding AMEX to the equation will not HELP, but will, instead, add MORE CORPORATE WELFARE TO THE SYSTEM! Congratulations, Representative Kingston! You are trying to make a bad system *worse*!

Making economic and military progress – have 241,000 soldiers trained, no critical point defined. President Bush insists that final call remains with commanders in Iraq. Iraqi Army soldiers unrealistic about advancement, require multiple cycles of training. Congress will want a definition of the number of trained soldiers for a threshold. It will be a political issue in the fall. Stalemate in Iraq politics will disillusion public and Congress.

Iran – concerned about Venezuela’s diplomatic engagement with Teheran. No support for military solutions in Congress just yet. They will remain open to military solutions only to support diplomatic efforts (talk tough). Chavez has spent $2B on diplomatic initiatives, more than what US spends on drug interdiction in SA. Oil money keeps him afloat, which is why energy independence is so important.Wish to reduce oil imports by 2.5M bbls by 2025. Move to ethanol, biomass, and other fuels. White House supports HR 4409, but no big push from Bush on it. Brazil – 40% of cars run on ethanol, US only 3%, even though Brazil buys American cars.

Immigration – House has made great strides compared to the senate. Caught 115,000 illegals last year but the BP can only do catch-and-release. Won’t handcuff illegals due to diplomatic considerations. Fence blocks American users of the Rio Grande, so some sort of accommodation will have to be worked out. House will push a guest-worker program rather than an amnesty-type road to citizenship plan as in the senate. Business needs guest workers, America needs security.

Economy is excellent, but we need to extend the tax cuts.

My question: how do we make sure a guest-worker program doesn't create a French situation of a large immigrant population that won't assimilate and has no process to do so? Immigration reform needs to pursue the House model. System that gives 3 mos to register their workers, can re-admit under the guest worker program. Everyone would get on track; employers with non-compliance would be subject to large fines. Have a dual-track program for the possibility of citizenship, but those would have to go home and re-enter.

How do we make sure they go home first? Need a worker-ID system. Would have to enter this program in order to work.

Protests – they serve to bring out the hardliners, not the moderates. Constituents wonder how people breaking the law by being here can march to demand more rights and privileges.

Birthright citizenship – only 36 nations still have it, and the House wants to look at amending the Constitution to correct that.

On reform: Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The fence will not solve everything. A reform which takes care of half the program still improves the situation.

Earmarks: What needs to happen in order to advance reform? Not as much real support outside of the chatter in DC. There probably isn’t a consensus in the House or Senate to reform earmarks. Appropriations isn’t the only place where earmarks occur (ie Transportation). The leadership position is to get some reform on earmarks, at least in the House. Why not Ways and Means for reform as well?

Republican revolution: are the ideals of the ’94 revolution gone with Tom DeLay? Kingston: “a lot of ember there”. Boehner was one of the originals. Tax simplification probably can’t be done this year, but other goals still remain. The line-item veto, deficit reduction, and earmark reform are doable. When was the last time a political party stood up for Social Security reform.

E-mail regarding budgeting for emergencies – Kingston supports it “in principle”, but the money always goes elsewhere once collected. Getting leery of emergency funding; war is a great example of this – why is still considered “emergency funding”?

Deterrent value of the Minutemen – will Congress get more supportive of this program? Need more of their stories told in order to gain appreciation.

Do we really need to import workers? Don’t we really import families? How many workers do we need, and why are we importing the families? Need to have it strictly contractual to maintain control over a guest-worker program. 24% of agricultural workers are illegals (check tape for other industries). The migrants are willing to work longer and harder, business owners say. Businesses cannot compete without low-wage unskilled workers.

But why import the families? Registration system will eliminate some of that. Rest will be taken care of when we eliminate birthright citizenship.

Oh, my! The Good Captain has done his homework... and even if paraphrased, lets see how much more can be done with his fine work!

Thank you for Representing those 5 military establishments, Rep. Kingston! I hope they have jobs left to come *home* to once they get back from Iraq. And let us hope they don't have a Civil War to participate in to bring certain areas of the Nation back under Federal control.

And you actually have realized that standing up a brandy-new Iraqi Army will take a long time!! Plaudits to you on realizing that bit of the real world!

Oooooo!!! Geopolitics!! Nasty thing for a Representative to opine about... might upset a few people here and there... But you do correctly point out a problem with Venezuela and Iran getting cozy. Do you know *why* that is Representative Kingston? Because Iran might just try to do something like smuggle a WMD via Venezuela and then north through the porous Southern Border region of the US! You might be *worried* about that! You might even think of a good idea to *stop* them from doing so... like... putting up a WALL!

And you get high negatives on biomass, Rep. Kingston, as the conversion ratio would require yet MORE subsidized farming! And that would draw MORE illegals! You are such a swell guy to want all those folks to come here to work on the Federal dime!

Do you want to know *how* Brazil gets it done with biomass? They are *not* a fully industrialized nor middle-class nation, they subsidize the fuel and they cut down Amazonian rainforest to do farming! Congratulations on NOT figuring that out on your own! Perhaps you should look towards a totally new industry to produce a space-based infrastructure for making Solar Power Satellites?

Dear me, no handcuffs allowed? Really? You know, if that is a Treaty Provision you might just look at starting a bill to GET RID OF IT! And if it is a National law, you could do the SAME! Yes, that is what Congress can do, Representative! Oh, my the Dumb Looks ratio is increasing against you by the moment....

Now we have covered the 'fence' and 'guest worker program' already. So no extras on those!

The economy has been doing well, quarter on quarter since late 2001, where 9/11 and the Internet Bubble Bust did a tango on the economy. After getting H&R Block to do my taxes, I can only tell you one thing: GET THIS DAMN SYSTEM TO SOMETHING THAT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND! How about a FLAT TAX that everyone pays, even corporations? And the only exemption is for coroprate pay and salaries? NO loopholes. NONE. ZERO. Itemized deduction is a criminal waste of the taxpayer's time. Scrap this tax system for something that everyone fairly pays on and get RID of corporate welfare.

Now the Good Captain asked about how to ensure a 'guest worker' program is used. What makes the good Representative think that these folks even understand what it means to be a Law Abiding Citizen of the United States? And for those just wanting to make a fast buck under the table, what makes the Representative believe that companies will actually Follow the Law? They do NOT already. They want the easy money and will do anything to get it, Rep. Kingston. This is a FIASCO.

Constituents have a right to wonder about the protests, Rep. Kingston! Because they shouldn't be here in THE FIRST PLACE. And do you know why that is, sir? Because you and the rest of Congress have abdicated your duties under the Oath you have taken to uphold the Constitution and defend the United States! You have let any sort of person just blithely enter this country, including TERRORISTS! Thank you ever so much for that!

You seriously want to amend the Constitution on birthright Citizenship? Is this just for Foreigners or are you seriously deciding that the country doesn't need some of its own population anymore? Don't like some folks, declare them non-citizens and deport them? You better watch how you word that amendement, sir.

Now on the reform front.... why, exactly, do we need reform of the Immigration policy? How about reforming the subsidies paid to agriculture, bring municipalities that do not uphold the Constitution back into the Union, shut down businesses using illegal immigrants as trafficking in *slaves* and put up a wall, simultaneously. This sounds much *better* then get law-breakers in to be Citizens! And it solves the problem, to boot! Otherwise you are just passing yet another law not to enforce.

On earmarks... no concensus on the Hill? Has anyone actually, you know, RUN on that as their main platform? Can't have a concensus if the question hasn't been put before the American People. So you could just put a hold on them and then try running as an anti-porcine fat extruding candidate. And recommend that to your colleagues! You might get a *consensus* at the polls!

On the Republican '94 platform: "a lot of ember there." Joyous! Do you know why it is down to embers, sir? Because the Republican party is not *serious* about Government reform. They have had over a decade and we have seen: ZILCH. The big ZERO. Tax-reform? That is perennial, now... always just about to blossom, but never does. You might have to spend some Political Capital to get it done... no best keep that and just watch it melt away as you do nothing.

As for the line-item veto: how about passing a budget that is not festooned with so many damn line-items?

Social Security reform. Silence from both parties.

Emergency spending via e-mail! Wheeeee! Can most of Congress even tell us what their *real* office email address is on their lonesome?

On the Minutemen... Now the Good Captain wonders if it needs Congressional support... Tell you what, mobilize the military, give it a nice border zone to patrol and put up a wall. So that common Citizens are not doing WHAT THEIR GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALREADY BE DOING!

Need for low-wage workers? Ok, first end all business subsidies and corporate welfare. Then do your job about getting the border enforced. If there is *still* unemployment you will have your answer and there would be no need for immigrant workers. And if there were you could *then* regulate it, but only *after* the Nation had secure and non-porous borders and shuts down those companies looking to undercut the comptetition with illegal alien slaves. How about that, sir?

Well the Dumb Looks meter is pegged over and bent all out of shape! I am sorry, Representative Kingston, but you are not only clueless, but spineless and unwilling to carry the hard load of responsibility that goes with your job. Better luck in your home district! I am sure a few illegals can be found to do the door-to-door campaigning that Americans are unwilling to do.

Thank you for playing "Snowjob the American People" at Dumb Looks Still Free! You can pick up your free copy of the US Constitution as your consolation prize... and you may just want to read it someday, Representative Kingston, for your Job Description is there.

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Trying to save what thoughts I have in case my time for having them comes to an end. I keep many ways of looking at the world and from many perspectives, but they are each a part of a larger whole and reflect my thoughts and feelings.
Diabetic, cataleptic, naracoleptic, hyperlipidemia, cerebral atrophy, allergies and *still* glad to be alive. Founding and sole member of The Jacksonian Party. mail: ajacksonian at gmail dot com

What D&D Character Am I?

Alignment:Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Race:Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.